


Mad Dog of the South

by ravenuchiha512



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dialogue Heavy, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Romance, F/M, Hans pain train, Hans' descent into madness, Heavy Angst, Helsa endgame, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Instability, Pain, Slow Burn, Suicidal Thoughts, Torture, han needs a hug, mature themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-27 14:21:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30124131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenuchiha512/pseuds/ravenuchiha512
Summary: Two weeks after the great thaw, Prince Hans returns to the Southern Isles in chains, humiliated and defeated. Hoping for some sort of forgiveness, he receives a sentence that changes the course of his life. By surrendering his life in the hands of the queen who's life he almost destroyed.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa/Hans (Disney)
Kudos: 16





	1. The Sweet Scent of Home

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever dive into a disney story so I'm hoping I stay motivated enough to finish it. And I have to admit, I chose frozen, not because it's my favorite disney movie, but because Hans is one of my favorite disney villain. His entire character I feel was really unique and different from what we usually get. And I am also a sucker for angst and he seemed perfect for a story like mine.
> 
> So before you read this story, I would like to remind you that this story won't have too much fluff, or any light-hearted theme apart from a few moments here and there, majority of the story will be focused on what Hans went through and will go through and as for how Elsa fits in considering his is a Helsa story, you'll just have to read it alongside me.
> 
> So I hope you guys enjoy this and please tell me in the comments what you think about the story.

It felt strange, being back in this wretched place. Even though he had been gone for only a month at most, it felt like he was returning after years. The calamity in arendelle had almost stopped time for a few days. Hans didn't think things could go more right or wrong for him, then they went in arendelle. Considering how he spectacularly failed in his plan, he was more then a bit angry at how the events had transpired.

After sneaking his way to the ice queen's coronation, he thought he had every angle covered. He had done his research on the kingdom of arendelle, including the two princesses. He knew his only shot at leaving the hell that was his home was to seduce and marry into another kingdom, and arendelle with it's two unmarried young princesses seemed like the perfect target.

And when he had run into the young princess Anna, he had mentally thought that he had already completed his mission. The girl became so hopelessly infatuated with him in a matter of hours, that she was willing to go against her own sister for his hand in marriage. It was a completely unforeseen happening for him, considering he was planning to go after the elder sister, and the now-queen Elsa. 

But when he saw just how ice-faced (no pun intended) and stern she looked, he knew he had to do something else. And when she revealed herself as a witch, he felt like he had succeeded. All he needed to do was stage an event which would lead to Elsa's death, allowing Anna to take the throne as Queen and him being her husband would ascend to the throne of the king of arendelle.

And for a while, when he had the queen in captivity and her younger sister almost frozen in the castle library, he thought that all he needed to do now was to deliver the somber news of their deaths to the people, and easily take the reigns as king. But then, everything started going wrong. Against all odds, Anna who was supposed to be dead, stopped the swing of his sword that would've chopped Elsa's head, resulting in his defeat.

He couldn't exactly remember much of what happened after that, all he could remember was being punched in the face by Anna, pretty sure she had broken his nose, and then he was thrown into the brig of the ship that would drop him back at his home kingdom. 

Throughout his journey back home, his stomach convulsed in panic and a little fear, wondering just how his father would react after hearing of his thirteenth son's failure and actions. He knew that his family, specifically his twelve older brothers, were always looking for excuses and reasons to punish him, somehow or someway. But he had never made a blunder of such magnitude.

Fortunately for him, the ship had landed quite early in the morning, almost before dawn, which meant he could be spared of the stares of the people as he walked through the town hands and feet in chains, with about a dozen soldiers holding spears escorting him. A few citizens that were out reacted with gasps when they saw the dirty condition he was in, watching in amazement and shock. 

But despite everything, he still held his head high and walked in a princely manner, his shoulders broad and back straight. No matter what had happened, he was still a prince, and nothing had changed that. He wouldn't be ashamed, no matter what these peasants thought of him, no matter what his family thought of him. He would come back from this defeat, and someway he would get his revenge from the tramps that had foiled his plans.

That he could swear on his life, he would return to arendelle someday and humiliate the queen and the princess, just as they had done him. 

\------

As he stepped through the gates of the palace, he was surprised to be greeted by all twelve of his brothers, all lined up and standing in his path that led to the throne room. He would never admit it aloud, but the sight of his older brothers always induced him with an unknown fear. Growing up in their shadows, their feats and accomplishments, and how they treated him, his heart and body grew fearful of them all. His body still bared the marks of their pranks and tricks, his skin never mended because of their acts.

The guards stopped him before the twelve prince's and bowed in respect, whereas Hans forced a small grin and mockingly bowed a little before his brothers.

"Greeting, brothers.....I must say, it is an honor to have all of you welcome me back ho--" Han's words were cut short when the heir to the throne and his oldest brother, Caleb spoke with a deep voice.

"Silence your tongue, prisoner. Do not speak as if we are on the same level. We have received the news of your failures and actions in the kingdom of arendelle, Hans. Sabotaging the throne, attempting to murder their queen and their princess, spreading lies amongst their people and trying to manipulate them..........The shame that you have brought on our kingdom, you're fortunate I don't have my sword with me right now." Han's went silent at hearing his brother's words, feeling sweat trickle down his temples and sideburns. He could hear a few of his brothers snickering and laughing at his ordeal, and he wanted nothing more then to shove their faces into the mud.

"I don't mean to argue with you, brother, but regardless of my failures and what happened in arendelle, I am still a prince. I believe calling me a prisoner is a bit exaggerating, is it not?" Han's smirked a little as he looked at his brothers. "Moreover, I tried to take over arendelle only to give it to father as a gift. A new addition to the kingdom of the southern isles. Surely I am not the only one who was tried to take over a foreign kingdom."

Suddenly the third oldest laughed, taking Hans by surprise. His name was Lars, and he was one of his brothers who had always taken every opportunity to humiliate him, as a child and an adult. 

"Hansy, you sure know how to fuck-up spectacularly. And I applaud you for the fact that even when you know you have failed, you still have your charming wit about you......Well, I won't ruin whatever surprise father has in store for you, but I will enjoy seeing that smirk vanish off your face." A small shiver went down Han's spine as he saw the predatory smirk on his brother's lips. "Oh and even though you aren't the only one of us who has done something like this, the different between us is that when we did it, we actually succeeded in conquering the kingdoms."

"Enough, Lars..........Men, the king is waiting in the throne room, take him." Caleb's voice was commanding enough to make the soldiers immediately hold him by his elbows and drag him through the kingdom gardens and rooms. While his brothers leisurely walked in-front. A part of him burned with rage and anger, when he saw how clean and proper they looked. All of them, dressed in royal robes and colors, whereas he, their own brother, chained and dirty, being dragged like a common criminal.

It wasn't long before he was standing in the throne room, looking up at his father and mother, the King and Queen of the southern isles. All of his brothers had also taken their seats alongside his parents, and all of them looked down at him with disappointment and disdain filled eyes.

"Hans." The queen spoke with a tone of disappointment and a bit sorrow in her voice, taking Hans's attention.

"Hello, mother.......Have I made you proud?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at the woman who he could remember, as a child filling the heads of his brothers with dreams and futures of them standing on the throne of a kingdom, all the while he quietly hid outside the room, listening to his mother's voice.

"Don't make this worse then it already is, child." She replied, narrowing her eyes. 

"Define 'worse'?" Came Han's answer with a small grin on his lips.

"Enough!" King Westergaard's voice was loud enough for Hans to turn his attention back to his father, who looked at him from his golden throne as if he was nothing more then a bag of garbage, standing in his presence. "I will speak to the prisoner myself."

The room became quiet all of a sudden, as the king stared at his youngest son, the others stared at their ruler, waiting for his words. But before he could, Hans let out a chuckle, as he stared at his father with casual ease in his eyes.

"I really don't know what all this fuss is about, to be honest, father." Hans said, letting his eyes roam over his brothers.

"Do you not truly feel the gravity of your crimes, Hans? Wherever you go, or whatever you do, only failure follows you." The King's voice filled the room, his eyes lacking any sort of parental love or sympathy for the man in chains standing before him. And for some reason, Han's could not hold his words of frustration and anger.

"Heh, I went to arendelle, to rule their people and their kingdom as a _benevolent_ ruler....... _just like you, father._ " He could notice the eyes of some of his brothers widening, probably surprised at his loose tongue, and even he was surprised that his father was taking it so well.

"All this nonsense, all these tantrums and witty remarks, just because little Hans desires a throne of his own." The king's mocking tone was slow and deep. But it was enough to set off the red-haired prince.

"It is my birthright!" Hans glared into his father's eyes without a shred of fear, chains clunking about each other. But suddenly the throne room came alive when the king stood from his throne.

"YOUR BIRTHRIGHT MEANS NOTHING! You are the THIRTEENTH in line for the throne! No matter what may happen to me or my heir, their will always be someone else who will take the throne, NOT YOU! So let me tell you this, Hans, your birthright is to ROT!......You should count yourself lucky, BOY, that you are even standing here alive right now!" Hans suddenly stepped forward, urging the guards to hold him. The room became more heated, as the princes saw their father grow more furious then they had ever seen him before.

"If I'm only here for the ax, then for mercy's sake, just swing it, _your majesty!_ " Hans knew his fate would be worse then anything he could think of, but it was his fate and if it was already set in motion then he would say everything he never could say before. "And it's not that I don't love our little talks, father, but this is getting boring. So how about you get to the part where you order my execution and we get this over with?" 

The king stared at his youngest for a few seconds, as Hans held his father's stare, before the king slowly sat back down on the throne with a sigh. "Well then, before I tell you your sentence, do you have anything to say, perhaps a plea or forgiveness?" Hans just snorted at his father's words, as he glared back at him.

"Such a strange question to ask, father.......You speak as if my words will be enough to change my fate, which I'm sure is already set in stone. I don't know what you want me to say? Should I say 'I'm sorry' or that I made a mistake? Or that I swear I will redeem myself and better myself? Well I won't. I did what was right to me and I would do it again, given a chance. Arendelle belonged to me! I deserved to rule it, as it's rightful king!" Han's spoke with a voice full of conviction and underlying anger, knowing that if what his brother said was true, his father already had a punishment ready for him.

"Such bravado......coming from a man in chains, who was defeated at the hands of two women." The king replied in a slow tone, eyeing the young man.

"In my defense, nobody knew their queen was an ice-wielding witch. I am sure if it was any one of my dear brothers, they would've failed even spectacularly then me, father." Hans noticed how his words riled some of his brothers, but unlike him, they didn't dare speak up in-front of the king.

"Well then, I can see you have already made up your mind.....Very well, allow me to state your sentence. As king of the southerns isles, I hereby strip you of all your assets, your title as prince, all and any property or money in your name." Actually hearing those words from his father's lips truly shook the young man, as he stared at his family with vindictive eyes. But it was the second part of his sentence that truly made Hans realize he was screwed.

"You will be spending the rest of your pathetic life in the dungeons, and cleaning horseshit, in the meantime, I will be sending a letter to the Queen of Arendelle, giving her full authority to decide what to with you. If she wills it, you will face the gallows. Either way, you're life and fate will no longer be of our concern, but whatever the queen of arendelle decides." The king's words were spoken in a tone of finality, and not one of his brothers or even his mother even flinched at the words. "And if, in some sorts of an act of benevolence, she does decide to forgive you, then you will live out the sentence I have given you."

In disbelief, Hans let out a scoff, his grin absent, eyes locked onto his father. He could hear some of his brothers snickering at his reaction, finding his situation amusing. "Really, you're handing my life over to that wretched witch?"

"Everything that is happening to you, Hans, you have brought it upon yourself." The king spoke, leaning back on his throne. "Prince Caleb, escort him to the dungeons, burn all his belongings, leave them to rot.......he will never step foot in here again."

Hans slowly took deep breaths, staring down at the floor, as he allowed the words he had heard to settle in. And he was surprised, he had thought he would feel panic or fear for being sentenced, but instead, he felt relief and an unfamiliar sort of freedom. 

The king noticed as the now former prince slowly let out a chuckle, as the heir walked towards him. Hans suddenly looked up at Caleb and brightly smiled, devoid of any sort of malice or suspicion. 

"Dear brothers, it seems like your wish has finally come true.......All my life, you humiliated me, beat me up, and did everything you could to make me forsake my own existence. And now, finally you are free of me......And the funny thing is....I'm not even mad." Hans's words were confusing the young princes who could not figure out what was happening. But as Caleb approached Hans, the disgraced prince spoke once more.

"Caleb, before you send me to the dungeons, can I get one final hug from my brother? Just for old time's sake." Caleb stopped and stared at the red-haired man, wondering what was his angle.

"Not another word, Ha--" Caleb's words were cut off when Hans spoke once more, in an even jovial tone.

"Oh come now, brother! For all the shit you put me through since a child, I think I deserve a hug! Now come here, you big oaf!" Anyone listening to Hans's voice would never believe he was a man who was just stripped of everything he had, but instead he had the tone of a man who was happier then anyone else. 

Hans stared at his brother with a big smile at his face, his chained arms spread out, green eyes giving out nothing but a feeling of joy. Caleb slowly turned back to his father, who looked upon the scene with a look of amusement in his eyes. But he did give a small nod to his heir, who turned back to Hans with an irritated expression on his face.

Caleb let out a sigh, and stepped forward. "Okay, but don't get too clos--AHHH!" Several princes stood up when suddenly Hans headbutted the heir to the throne. Caleb's yelp of pain came when he felt his nose crack after it's contact with Hans's head. The guards immediately smashed the dull ends of their glaives with Hans's back and brought him to his knees.

"SEIZE HIM!" Came the king's voice, as Caleb fell due to the sudden pain. This time Hans growled and snarled as the guards held him tightly in place.

"Since I am about to leave, I must confess my feelings about you all! To all my dear brothers, you all can eat my shit and _die_! Mother, you are _absolutely_ , without a _doubt_ , the biggest and hateful sow I have ever had the displeasure of talking to, and I truly hate you with all my heart!" The princes stood up from the throne, shouting at the guards, some even running up to Hans to shut him up, the queen was shocked to hear such vile and crude words being spoken about her, and that too from the mouth of a son who had never been anything less then polite.

"BE SILENT, YOU BASTARD! I OUGHT TO RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE!" The king was shouting with all his might, but Hans just laughed and cackled at the height of his voice, and glared at the king.

"You are no longer my king, _oh great one_! And I have long since broken off any sort of respect I had for you as a father! As a matter of fact, your majesty, you can choke on my cock and die for all I care!" The guards gasped at his words, and suddenly Hans felt his face connecting with the floor as the guards held him down.

"TAKE HIM AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO SEE HIS DESPICABLE FACE A SECOND MORE!" King Westergaard shouted, his face red with rage.

"FUCK YOU, _YOU OLD MAN_! FUCK YOU AND THIS KINGDOM AND IT'S PEOPLE FOR FOLLOWING A MAN LIKE YOU!" Hans had lost all composure, and face against the floor he yelled to his hearts content, letting out the frustrations that had built up inside him for last 23 years of his life. 23 years of misery, and humiliation and pain, he felt free from all the confines of his wretched family and kingdom.

"THESE FUCKING FOOLS THAT CALL THEMSELVES THE PRINCES ARE NOTHING MORE THEN IMBECILES AND IDIOTS! IF I HAD A SWORD, I'D KILL ALL OF Y--" Just as suddenly, Hans was struck in the face with something hard, and the next moment everything went dark.

_This was how Prince Hans Westergaard of the southern isles returned home to lose everything, but gain a freedom he never knew he wanted until he got it._

\----------

"Charades again, Anna? I love you but this is the third night in a row that we have been doing this." In arendelle, things had gotten much better after the great thaw had passed, and summer had come back, as the rightful season for the time of the year. For the royal family, no more closed doors remained, no more days and night were spent in loneliness. 

The queen and her younger sister, along with their faithful servants had immediately gotten to working on matters of the state that needed attention, especially the matters of trade and food security, the two areas that were especially hit due to the disaster. But thankfully, the queen with the help of her council and her family had managed to work around their problems, and had started working on getting their kingdom back on track.

It had been about two months now, since the great thaw, and arendelle was now flourishing, with a loving queen at the helm and a just council of ministers, the conditions of the kingdom were better then ever. Even the people had gotten over their fear of the queen's powers, and had come to love her. 

And as for Elsa and Anna, their lives were full of warms hugs and happiness, living in the castle alongside their snowman, Olaf, and princess Anna's boyfriend, the kingdom's ice-deliverer, Kristoff and his best friend, Sven.

Currently, they were in one of the castle's many rooms, where princess Anna was begging Elsa and Kristoff to play a strange new game that Anna had picked up from around town, where one person would act out some sort of an object or person or anything, while the others would have to guess it. Elsa didn't really want to hurt her sister's feelings, but she was really tired of the pointless game, especially after playing it two nights in a row.

"But it's so much fun, Elsa! Come on, please! Kristoff, back me up on this, will you?" Anna pleaded with a mischievous smile on her lips, before turning to her boyfriend who just stared between the two sisters nervously, an uneasy smile on his face.

"Um, well, Anna, if Elsa doesn't want to pl--" His words were cut off when suddenly the large door to the room opened, the three of their attentions turned over to the sound, and they saw the sight of Kai rushing in, with a letter in his, face showing worry and concern.

"My queen, I-I apologize for coming in without permission." Kai spoke as he stood in-front of the queen who had now stood up from the couch and walked closer to the older man, who was still panting and trying to catch his breath.

"It's no concern, Kai. What is it?" Elsa asked, her face a mask of composure, but inside she also felt a little nervous at seeing the man in such a state. Anna and Kristoff, who now stood at her sides, also waiting for an answer.

Kai thrust the letter forward, holding it with both of his hands. "A letter came for you, your highness. It came from the southern isles." A collective gasp sounded out around the room, with Anna's eyes wide and mouth open. While Elsa immediately took the letter and held it in her grasp.

As her eyes observed the seal on the envelope, showing the Westergaard crest, her mind went towards the treacherous man who had been in this castle a few months back, and had the audacity to try and murder both her, and her sister. She still couldn't contain the surge of anger and hate for the man that went through her each time she remembered his vile face. 

Which brought her back to the present, making her wonder what the letter was about. Since the last she had heard from one of her minister's that the criminal would receive proper punishment at the hands of his father, and that he would never dare to plot against arendelle ever again. After which both her and Anna had decided to forget about the disgraced prince, and get on with their lives, instead of focusing on a man that wasn't worth their attention. And it wasn't hard at all, with Elsa, the matters of the kingdom quickly distracted her from Hans and his actions, while in Anna's case, she had the love of her life in the form of Kristoff to help her forget.

But now, after two months, the arrival of this letter was strange and confusing. But Elsa slowly took a small breath and gently broke the seal of the envelope, deciding to get this over with. All eyes were trained on her as she took out the letter inside and started reading it.

\--------

_To her Highness, Queen Elsa of Arendelle_

_I hope this letter has made it's way to you. First, and foremost, as King of the Kingdom of the Southern Isles, I would like to humbly apologize for the harm and damage that came to you and your kingdom, at the hands of my son, Hans. I wish I had the chance to do this in-front of you, but as you know, the kingdom waits for no man or woman. Therefore, I can only express my feelings through this letter and hope you find it in your heart to forgive my kingdom for the actions of a single man._

_Now, as for the reason I am writing this letter, I want to inform you that the man who tried to assassinate you and the princess, has been punished accordingly. Hans has been stripped of his title, and all of his assets, and has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the dungeons. And nobody can end his punishment, not while I am still breathing. He will pay for his transgressions against the kingdom of arendelle, that I can assure you._

_But, what I want to tell you is that, in my kingdom, if a citizen of the southern isles commits a felony in some other country, then that country has a right to exact any sort of punishment as they see fit. Therefore, even though Hans is already sentenced, his life is still in your hands._

_If you want him to spend his entire life as your servant, it shall be done, or if you want him to face the gallows, then even that is within your right._

_With all that said, I hope you understand what is being asked of you. I will wait for your answer, Your Highness. Once again, I apologize for all that has happened in the past._

_Sincerely,_

_King Westergaard of the Southern Islands._

_\---------_

Elsa was shocked, needless to say, after reading the letter. Her mind already mulling over the things she had read. She wordlessly handed the letter over to Anna, without straying her eyes towards her. Anna and Kristoff quickly read the letter, before coming to the end. The room was silent, as Anna looked towards her sister, who still looked lost in thought.

After reading the prince's punishment, Elsa thought she would've felt elated at knowing he would never get the chance to hurt anyone again, that he would never dare to do something like what he had done to her, ever again. But instead, she only felt a small feeling of relief and then a little pity, especially after reading how cruel and callous the words of the king were towards his own son. As for what the king had asked of her, she had already made her decision. Their would be no execution, neither would she be bringing that disgrace in her kingdom. 

No, the sentence he had already received was enough.

"Elsa?......What will you do?" Anna asked in a small voice as she looked at her sister. 

Elsa quietly looked up at Kai, and spoke her words in a calm and poised tone.

_"Bring me the ink and parchment, Kai."_


	2. Consequences

_"This feels familiar, doesn't it?........You, all alone, disappointing everyone once again. The family, not caring one bit about you. I feel as if you are stuck in some sort of a loop, Prince Hans......Like you are destined, to just fail. Again and again and again."_

"Hah! You think that's new? Those bastards you call my family are just imbeciles. They have always known I was better then them. I could be a better prince then my brothers, a better king then my father. They fear what I can do, that's why they have always tried to push me down........But they're wrong, and so are you.....My destiny is not to fail. My destiny is to sit atop the throne as a king." Said Hans.

_"Will you ever stop with the needless obsession for the throne? How many times have you plotted to become king? How many times will you fail before you realize that you are worthless. You are nothing but a failure. How many times must you be humiliated before you realize, that you will never amount to anything, that nobody wants you, Hans. Nobody wants you, not as a king, as a brother, as a son, or even as a friend."_

"Shut up! I don't need anyone to tell me what I can and can't do! Especially, you!" Hans snarled as he sat up on the stone slab.

_"Well, tough luck then. Since I am the only person who at least takes the time to talk to you, excluding your regular whippings and beatings from the guards or your brothers."_

"Can you please not talk about my brothers, I have had my fill of them to last me ten more lifetimes." The disgraced prince replied, as he calmed down a little, and laid back down.

_"Well, what do you want to talk about? Anything you want to share with me, or anything you want to get off your chest? I can't do much else for you, but I can listen."_

"It-It's silly........but sometimes I begin to think if I was cursed from the day I was born. Cursed to become a man so unlovable and unlikable, that no man or woman would ever spare a single good thought about me." Hans said, in a quiet voice, staring up at the ceiling.

_"Maybe you are, who knows.......We live in a world where ice-conjuring queens, and girls who can talk to the oceans exist.....Curses aren't a far cry."_

"Yes.........maybe........But still, I can't give up. Everyone else is allowed to dream, so why can't I. I will become a king, one day. It may not be the Southern Isles, or arendelle, but I can assure you, one day I will sit atop a throne, overlooking masses of people, who will love me and respect me for who I am." Hans said with a sad longing in his voice.

_"Is that true?"_

"Yes......They will know that I am more then just a disgrace, more then a traitor or a throwaway prince.....They will look at me and see a hero. A man worthy of their respect, a just king who cares for his people and his kingdom."

_"It's a nice dream. But it might just remain a dream, with the way things are looking for you right now. It doesn't really look you might survive another year or two with the way your body and mind is deteriorating right now."_

"Is that all just a fancy way to say I'll soon be dead? Because if it is, then I don't really care. A part of me longs for the sweet release of death, from this cursed plane of existence." 

_"Hm. Do you think your family will mourn you, if you die in here? Do you think anyone would shed a single tear for yo--"_

"Enough!" Hans snarled as harshly as his dry throat allowed.

_"Very well, let's talk about something else.........How long do you think you have been here? I can't seem to even tell how much time has passed these days to be honest?"_

"........I-I don't really know. Maybe a few months, I am not exactly sure. The last time I can remember stepping out of this cell, was maybe my last day of working at the stables.......When Runo came to inform me about the letter from Elsa."

_"Elsa? Oh, you mean the Queen you tried to kill and whose kingdom you tried to takeover."_

Hans let out a sigh, as he felt the rage coming back, just thinking of the woman who had ruined his life. "Yes, that one........That bitch, she told my father that she liked the punishment my father had given me......That was my last day outside, after that I was thrown in here. And have been here since then."

_"Hm. Seems like a long time in solitary confinement, it seems......It's a wonder you haven't gone mad yet."_

"Hah! It will take more then that to break me, even my wretched family should know that. They think a few beatings and whippings will be enough to break my spirit, when in reality, they only give me more motivation to destroy each and every single one of them once I get out." A large grin rose on Hans's lips as he spoke.

_"I am impressed by your tenacity, Prince Hans, I truly am, even if that always leads to nothing more then humiliation. But being your only confidant, I must also tell you what others won't."_

"If it's more bullshit about how I can't win, then you should keep your mouth shut." Hans said as he turned over the side, and faced the stone wall.

_"My Prince, I have been with you since you were a child. I was with you when you were plotting to take over arendelle. I was with you when you were wooing Princess Anna. So heed my words when I tell you, you are bound to fail spectacularly once more when you try."_

"I won't." Hans replied, as he closed his eyes.

_"Yes, you will. In this world, their are winners and losers. And you, Prince Hans Westergaard, are the biggest loser. Nobody will ever willingly follow you or heed your words ever again. From the snowy mountains of arendelle, to the scorching deserts of Agrabah, no man or woman will ever think of you as anything more then treacherous scum."_

"Shut up I said!" Hans said as he put his hands over his ears, and curled his legs in to shut the words out.

_"You can do whatever you want, Hans, but the truth is that you will one day die, and nobody will ever notice. No history books will remember you, nor will your family ever think of giving you a proper burial. They will just throw your dead carcass among piles of dung and throw you into the seas. That is your destiny, Hans."_

"SHUT UP!" 

_"Or what? You think you can do anything? You failed to defeat two young girls? You think you can defeat me? You can use the glass to try and cut me, but I am always going to be here, you ugly scum. I will always be here to remind you of what you are."_

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Hans screamed as he got up.

_"I will always remind you of what the world already knows. That you are nothing but a treacherous, conniving, evil, unlovable, ugly, heartless monster."_

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Hans screamed his heart out.

"What in the hel is wrong with you?" Suddenly the cell door slid open, and two guards came rushing in. The two heard screams from the cell, and immediately came to check, a little worried over what was causing the commotion. 

"What in the name of Odin?" One guard asked in a confused voice as he looked into the room and saw the disgraced prince sitting in a dark corner of the room, panting wildly, with beastly wild eyes red with tears and dirt on his face. Hair grown long past his shoulders, in a tangled mess and caked with dirt, face a sunken mess. A pungent odor coming from his worn and torn out clothes that he had been wearing ever since he returned from arendelle. He looked more like an animal then a former prince.

"Oye! What were you shouting about?" The second guard grumbled out as he went closer to Hans and nudged him with his foot. But no answer came, only hurried pants, and eyes open wide and stuck on a single spot in the room.

"Leave him, Onar, he's probably lost it. Seems like three whole years in confinement are finally taking a toll on the bastard's mind." The first guard scoffed out, with a throaty chuckle leaving his mouth. The prisoner had no clue what he was seeing or what he was hearing, instead his eyes were fixed on the doorway, where he could the silhouette, a shadowy silhouette of a woman, one he knew the past.

_"All of this would've never happened, Hans........If only you hadn't betrayed us."_

Her voice, her smooth and velvet-filled voice, it beckoned the fires of rage in his belly once more. "SHUT UP, YOU WHORE! SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH BEFORE I KILL YOU! I SWEAR TO ODIN, I WON'T REST UNTIL I SEE YOU DEAD AT MY FEET, YOUR MAJESTY! EVEN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!" The guards once more jumped back a little, startled by the ex-prince's words. 

"What-what the hell, Hund? Should we call someone?" The second guard asked, a little startled and nervous as he stared at the man still shouting obscenities and curse words at some woman that was seemingly visible only to him. The first guard, Hund, just chuckled at his partner's words, and cracked his fists walking closer to Hans.

"Just wait a second. We don't need no doctor in 'ere, this bastard just needs to have some sense beaten into him. Quite literally. I understand you are a little soft-hearted, so you might want to turn away." The moment he spoke out his words, his fist connected with Hans' weak jaw with a painful crunch. With the state his body was in, he couldn't hold his body as it crashed against the stony floor of the dungeon. But it wasn't the end for his punishment, the older and more muscled man then proceeded to kick him several times in his stomach and face, while the other one just spared one look at the pitiful excuse of a prince before walking out.

The fight had left Hans' body a long time ago, as he just lay their, taking his beating, not attempting to defend himself. Soon after some time had passed, his consciousness had started fading, but he faintly heard the man spit on him before walking out the cell and locking the door behind him, locking him once again, in perpetual darkness. 

Tears slowly fell out of his eyes, as he lay a broken pile of meat on the floor, utterly spent and exhausted and pain his mind couldn't even register. No words or sounds left his mouth, even after the small effort he put trying to cry, instead only the sounds of his low grunts and shudders and weeping escaped his dried out throat. 

From his half-shut eye, he could see the same woman slowly walking towards him, dressed in a light blue royal gown, bringing alongside her a thin sheen of ice and cold wind. He couldn't turn his head up to look up at her, but then she sat down before him. Placing a cold hand on his bruised cheek, and slowly wiped the tears.

_"It did not have to be like this, Hans. We would have accepted you. Anna, Kristoff, everyone. Arendelle would have accepted you.........I would have accepted you, Hans. If only you had spoken the truth from the beginning."_

Her words were filled with overwhelming sadness and sympathy, but were also sharp and cold. And this time, they did not make him angry or furious. They only left him sobbing and weeping, crying his broken heart out. Cursing his existence, his birth, and everything that was him. And only a few words left his exhausted body.

_"S-Somebody........h-help."_

\----------

Elsa beamed with happiness as she almost twirled through the castle corridors, walking towards the throne room. She could feel the warm rays of the sun seeping through the large windows, warming her body with a warmth that balanced out the coolness inside her perfectly. Dressed in a formal white gown, with her hair that once used to be free-flowing, were now tied in a perfect bun, she had grown quite a lot since the last three years had gone by.

She wouldn't admit it out loud but she felt as if she had grown much more mature in the times that had gone by, she wouldn't admit it in-front of someone else, but when she was in her room alone, away from the eyes of the public, she would tell herself that she had become a much better queen, a better person, and more importantly a better sister. Arrendelle had become a thriving kingdom, with it's beautiful towns and villages, resources brimming and a happy people, it was basking in it's glory like it once did under the rule of her parents. 

And thanks to Anna's urging, Elsa had become more sociable and hospitable to her own people, and visitors from other kingdoms, relations with other nations and kingdoms were flourishing and trade had never been better. Elsa was proud of herself, and proud of the people of her nation, together they had all faced adversity and together they all struggled and overcame it.

The fear that once resided in the heart of every person of Arrendelle, the fear of their unknown, magic-wielding Queen, that had slowly started seeping out after they finally saw their Queen for who she was, and now what they assumed. Not a vengeful, hate-filled witch, but a beautiful and a benevolent woman who loved her kingdom more then anything else.

The flames of fear that once burned higher then the castle's highest towers, day-by-day they had grown lesser and lesser, until it became just a small spark and then nothing. When they saw the Queen ice-skating with her sister, when they saw the Queen helping an old lady on the street, when they saw the queen laughing alongside children playing with a talking snow-man, they began to realize perhaps they were too quick to judge her and label her as something she most definitely was not.

All of this and more, in the three years after the great thaw had returned Arrendelle to it's former glory and nobody was more happy then Queen Elsa herself.

And today was a particularly joyous occasion as well, because today was the day Anna was returning after her 3-month long honeymoon with her newly-wed husband and Arrendelle's chief ice-deliverer, Kristoff. They had been been putting off their wedding for a long time, even though Else knew that they both wanted to get married as soon as possible. Partly because after the events that had transpired during her coronation and the events that followed, there was too much to be done in the kingdom and they did not have the time for a wedding, not when there was a crisis that needed to be handled.

But exactly two years after the great thaw, once the kingdom had gotten back on track, Elsa gave them her blessing for their marriage, and the two were wedded during one of the most beautiful spring the kingdom had seen. It was the most happy Elsa had ever seen her sister, and it still - even after a year - brought a tear of happiness to Elsa's eyes everytime she remembered her sister standing on that altar.

Among the people who attended the wedding was the princess of the kingdom of Corona, Rapunzel. She was there alongside her husband, the prince of corona, Eugene. Rapunzel, like Anna was a very warm and bright soul, Elsa noticed and the two hit it off almost immediately. Rapunzel and Eugene had happily offered Anna and Kristoff to come and spend their honeymoon in Corona, and even came to Elsa to with their request, with Rapunzel doing most of the talking part. 

At first, Elsa was hesitant to send Anna off Arrendelle, somewhere where she couldn't see her everyday but when she saw how much her sister wanted to go, she had to let her go even if her heart was still conflicted about it a bit.

And so, a few months after the wedding, the loving pair had left for Corona, and that was the last time Elsa had seen her dear sister. Elsa had to admit, even though she had been Queen for about three years now, she had never once left Arrendelle, and the thought of leaving home scared her. But when she saw the look on Anna's face as she stood with Kristoff while the ship sailed away from the harbor, she truly envied her sister for the fearlessness Anna possessed.

And somewhere in her heart she again felt envy when she saw how safely Anna's hand was nestled in her husband's. 

That was another thought that plagued the Queen's mind from time to time when she was alone in her room at night. Anna had found her one true love in a matter of days, and Elsa couldn't have been more happier to see her sister happy. 

But a part of her would also question herself, would she ever have someone look at her the way Kristoff looked at Anna? Would someone ever look at her the way Kristoff looked at Anna, like she was the most beautiful being in the whole world?

And most of the times she would just bring more despair to herself. That no matter how much the people love their queen, no man would ever desire her as a woman, as a wife. Once the kingdom had started flourishing, there had been more then a few suitors that came for her hand. But it only took a few meetings for her to realize that all they wanted was the kingdom and the throne, not the woman who sat on it and so she rejected all of them. 

Every time a suitor left, Anna would try to cheer her up by saying that she would one day find someone, that her true love would one day come for her. But even Anna had stopped saying that a while ago, and Elsa knew why, it was because deep down, no man wanted a woman who nearly froze an entire kingdom over a tantrum. And so, now she had put the entire notion of falling in love, or being married in the farthest corners of her mind. 

She didn't need a husband, or someone to hold her at nights when her nightmares wouldn't let her sleep, or someone to aid her when ruling became too much too handle, when everyone expected so much more then she could deliver. Now when the court members asked her to think about the future of her throne, she would just plainly tell them that she didn't need children of her own, her sister's first born would become the heir and that was all she needed.

"My queen, princess Anna and prince Kristoff have arrived." The soldier's words broke the queen out of her stupor as she returned to the present. She looked ahead and saw the confused look on the man's face, no doubt because of the lost look on the queen's face. Elsa immediately schooled her expression to a polite smile.

"Thank you for informing me, I had heard the horns myself. I was just heading towards the palace gates." She said in her soft voice. Just then, two more soldier's came up behind the first soldier.

"Please allow us to escort you, your majesty." With a small nod, Elsa started walking towards the palace gates, with the guards following behind her.

As she reached the gates, Elsa couldn't stop the bright smile that lit up her face at the sight of her beautiful sister walking towards her alongside Kristoff and Sven, who had also gone with them. And when Anna noticed her sister, she forgo all and any decorum, and just dashed towards the queen without a second thought.

"ElSA!" Tears sprung in both their eyes as Anna landed in her sister's arms with a thump. Elsa was still hesitant to touch but not with her sister, she held Anna in her arms as tight as she could. Just savoring the feel of her dear sister back safely in her arms. It had been only three months, but it felt like a lifetime for Elsa as she laughed and cried while holding Anna.

"Oh Anna, I missed you so much. Welcome back home." Anna just held her tighter at hearing her words before loosening her hold and leaning a bit back. Elsa softly kissed her cheek as she tangled a strand of her hair behind her ears before looking at her sister.

"I missed you too, Elsa. Corona was a beautiful place but I have to say, nothing beats Arendelle. I missed home so much as well." Anna said as Kristoff walked next to them chuckling slowly at the sight of the two sisters.

"I can vouch for her. There were more then a few nights when I had to quieten Anna as she bawled for Arrendelle." Kristoff said in a light humor-filled tone, looking at Anna.

"Did she now? Well, I must hear more about your time in Corona then it seems." Elsa said with a small giggle as she held her sister's hands. Anna's eyes lit up in excitement at the thought of telling all the new things she had seen in her time away from home.

"It was so much fun, Elsa! I don't even know where to begin! Corona has so many beautiful green forests, and the towns are so different from Arendelle but just as beautiful and Rapunzel's birthday was last month, and they had a huge, huge feast where they lit up hundreds of lanterns and--" Elsa had to stop her sister's stories because this wasn't the time or the place for such conversations.

"Alright, alright, Anna, you can save all these tales for when we are not standing in the middle of a crowd." She whispered to her sister with a small smile, who immediately looked around and saw quite large group of people who had gathered to see the return of their beloved princess. 

"Heh, sorry, my bad." Anna nervously giggled before turning back to the people. The people of Arendelle loved Anna, perhaps even more then Elsa and so they were overjoyed to see her return. Each of them coming closer to greet her and welcome her back from her honeymoon. As Elsa and Kristoff looked at the scene with smiles on their faces, Kristoff turned to the queen.

"By the way, I didn't see Olaf on the way here, where is he?" The blonde haired man asked.

"Olaf, oh he is chauffeuring the kids from the local school for their study tour around the kingdom. I heard he had volunteered and the kids were over the moon to have a talking snowman be their guide." The queen answered as she hid a small giggle behind her hand.

"I understand, if I was a kid, a talking snowman would be probably be the most exciting thing ever." The prince spoke with a small smile on his face, to which the queen gave a polite nod and continued to observe her sister. 

"By the way, there is another matter that we need to discuss, more preferably away from any listening ears." The sudden change in Kristoff's tone made the queen realize that he wasn't joking, as she turned to the man with a serious look on her face.

"Is something wrong?" She asked in a voice devoid of any humor. This wasn't Elsa talking, this was the Queen of Arendelle. An uncomfortable look crossed the ice-master's face before he softly voiced his concerns to the queen.

"It's......It's nothing too concerning, just a bit disturbing if you ask me." said the blonde man.

"Speak plainly, Kristoff. What happened?" Asked the queen in a curt voice. Her attention completely diverted from her sister.

"Well, I don't know how to put it, but on princess Rapunzel's birthday, among the many nobles we met, we also chanced upon a meeting with prince Franz." The name was familiar to Elsa, but she couldn't identify the man or make sense of what Kristoff was trying to say, but it all became clear when he continued. "Prince Franz of the southern isles, Elsa. Second oldest brother of Hans."

Elsa couldn't stop the gasp that left her lips at hearing the name of the traitor again. It had been years she had last seen him or heard of him. With the letter she had sent for the king of the southern isles, she had decided to forget his entire existence as he wasn't a person worth remembering. And from what she had heard at the time, the murderous snake had been sentenced to a life in prison by his father. At the time she had felt a very little amount of pity for the man who tried to murder her and her sister, but overtime with all the things transpiring in her life, the meager thought of that man left her and he became a distant memory.

And now, after three years, hearing his name, it brought upon her the same effect as it did the moment he tried to kill her and Anna. Hate and anger. But before Elsa could voice her distaste and question Kristoff about what had happened, the blonde answered all her un-voiced questions.

"And he told me something, Elsa. Something I've hidden from Anna."

"He told you what? What did he say? Did he threaten you or Arendelle?" Elsa questioned in a rush, but Kristoff immediately gestured her to lower her voice before someone heard.

"No, no, nothing of the sorts. He told me about Hans...........The traitor has been kept in the dungeons, in confinement for the last three years. But the really disturbing thing he revealed to me is that lately it seems that Hans has started losing his mind. Said that he spends entire days and nights speaking and screaming at imaginary things." Elsa would never admit it but she felt a strange sort of chill pass down her spine at hearing the man's words. The feeling that came over as she tried to imagine what was happening to the traitor, it was a feeling she had never felt before. A mix of fear, pity and confusion.

"But it's what he said last that really shocked me to the bone.........He said that in the last few nights, he just screams cursives and threats at an imaginary person, normally he would just throw threats and cursives at his brothers and parents, but since a while now, he only speaks to a single person." Elsa's eyes were wide open in shock and fear as she slowly mustered the strength to speak her next words.

"Who?" The queen whispered in a soft voice. Kristoff turned to her with a scowl on his face, feeling anger rise at the thought of the traitor. But he softly answered.

_"You, queen Elsa. All he does is speak to you."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and I hope you stay for the long haul. Chapter 3 is currently being written and will be uploaded soon. And this is a slowburn so don't expect any Helsa soon, not in a romantic way.


	3. Enchanted

_"You, queen Elsa. All he does is speak to you."_

* * *

Needless to say, after all the commotions and greetings, when the queen and the loving couple were finally alone in their personal quarters, Kristoff explained the entirety of the bizarre conversation that took place between him and Franz, this time bringing Anna into the fold as well. And while Elsa's initial reaction was mostly just confusion and pity, trying to figure out what to make of this new and strange information, princess Anna on the other hand was just as confused but also angered, anger which was directed at the man in question.

"That creep, even in prison he's still stuck on Elsa and Arrendelle's throne." Anna said with a deep frown on her face, as the three sat in her room, before a burning fireplace.

"Well, from what I was told by his brother, it's not the throne he's stuck on, it's just Elsa." Kristoff spoke trying to calm his wife's temper.

"It's the same thing, Kristoff! Elsa is basically the physical embodiment of the throne of Arrendelle! And if he's cooking up more devious schemes about Elsa, it's only because he wants our home, that traitorous snake!" All the while Anna was getting more and more riled up, Kristoff was trying to calm her down, putting his hands on her shoulder as the two sat on a large couch. While the queen herself sat on a chair, eyes focused on the burning embers, lost in her own thoughts.

She couldn't escape the thoughts that had been plaguing her ever since Kristoff revealed his conversation. Every time she blinked, every time she closed her eyes, in the darkness she would only see the face of the traitor. But not as she remembered him, not him as a proud and spoiled prince with his sword high up in the sky ready to strike at her defenseless form. No she remembered his face from the time he confronted her in her ice palace, the concern with which he looked at her, the way he tried to protect her against the men who wanted to kill her then and there, and more importantly, every time she closed her eyes, she could hear his words ringing in her ears, words that meant so much more to her then she could ever tell anybody.

_"Don't be the monster they fear you to be."_

Not her father, her mother or even Anna had ever said something that made her see things so clearly and plainly. She had been ready to do whatever it took to defend her castle, even if it meant killing those men in cold-blood, and she was going to do it. But then he intervened and in a few short words he stopped her and made her realize just what kind of a mistake she was about to make. And no matter how much she may hate him for what he tried to do, that action of his would always stop her from giving into complete hatred for him. It was why she never ordered for his execution, even if most people in her kingdom urged her to do so, for the sake of revenge.

Some part of her, somewhere deep down inside the most tiniest nook and cranny of her heart, she felt that there was much more to Hans Westergaard then what the world saw of him.

And now, hearing his own brother's words, that he was slowly losing his sanity, it brought more sorrow then anger because in her heart she knew, she knew that nobody deserved a fate like that, not even someone like Hans.

"I think it's sad."

"What!?" Elsa's words stopped the arguing couple in their track as their faces turned towards the queen who was still staring at the fire. Anna thought she had misheard but on second thought she realized she hadn't, her sister had actually said those words.

"What? Why is it so strange to feel sorrow at a revelation like this?" The queen turned to the two with a questioning look on face.

"Maybe because this is Hans we're talking about? You know the guy who tried to takeover our home, who left me for dead in the library not far from here, who lied to you and almost killed you, do you remember none of that?" Anna asked with a frown on her lips, a bit irritated at how her sister was reacting. She had thought Elsa would've shared her sentiments on this matter, considering she suffered just like her at that man's hands.

"I haven't, Anna. I know what he has done, and I am not trying to defend him in any way. I know he's not a good person but that still doesn't mean that I won't feel bad about another human going through such torment. And besides, it's not like me feeling like this is going to change anything. He deserves to be in prison, and me feeling like this isn't going to change that." Elsa tried to explain her feelings in a way that wouldn't anger her sister, because she knew that no matter how much agony Hans caused her, it was so much more for Anna. She thought he was her first love, and to be betrayed like that in such cold-blood, she couldn't blame her sister for her feelings.

"Still...I don't want you to start pitying him just because of what has happened. Keep in mind that he brought this on himself, nobody forced him to do what he did and I think he deserves what is happening to him." Anna said in a moody tone as she stood up and started walking towards the door. "I'm tired from my travels, I'll see you tomorrow, Elsa, good night."

Elsa could sense that Anna was still a bit angry and annoyed at her words, and she knew that no matter what she said, she wouldn't sway her sister's mind from this topic. She let out a tired sigh as she watched her sister leave the room, with her husband bidding the queen 'good night' and following his wife, not wanting to cause any more arguments.

Once they had both left, Elsa sat quietly in the dark fire-lit room, again thinking about the man who was currently in a prison far away from Arrendelle. She couldn't figure out why but there was such a burning need inside her that made her want to see the man one more time with her own eyes. And even though she knew there was a way to do just that, she was also afraid of what would happen if she did.

_'I'll just have a quick look, nothing more. Anna won't even find out. She doesn't even though something like that exists. Just to sate my curiosity, nothing more.'_

She tried to convince herself as she stood up and started walking in the way her sister had went. As she stepped out of the room, she found herself in the dark quiet corridors of her castle. She couldn't help but feel a bit scared and nervous because of what she was about to do. Slowly walking through the castle, the only light came through the moon, beaming through the large windows. The only sounds came from the wolves roaming in the forests, and the faint voices of conversations from the occupied rooms.

After a short while, the queen found herself standing before the door of the room that once belonged to her parents. Even though she was the queen now, which meant the room belonged to her, she never once tried to sleep there. Just the eerie stillness and quietness of the room was enough to send shivers down her spine and give her goosebumps.

With a small deep breath, Elsa turned the doorknob and pushed forward.

As she entered the dark room, lit bright because of the moon, she forced herself not to look at the large empty bed knowing it would only cause her more nightmares and bad thoughts. She quietly walked to the large wardrobe that once belonged to her mother. With very little force she opened it, and for a second her breath caught up in her throat at the sight of all the dresses that were once worn by her dear mother. They had been left exactly the way she had left them, Elsa herself had ordered the maids not to touch anything in this room and wanted it to be left the same way her parents left it. She quickly wiped a few tears that were about to escape her eyes, and immediately turned her attention to the small drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe.

She bent down and slowly opened it to reveal her mother's jewelry and combs that she used for herself and her daughters. But those were not what Elsa wanted, her attention was caught by a small mirror that was placed next to a few rings and necklaces. As she picked it, she remembered the words her parents had told her about it.

It was during one of her father's conquest in France, her mother had told her that the king had led his army through the country and stopped in a small town. There the king had met a frail old woman by the name of Belle. Elsa was told that her father had seen a group of thugs trying to rob her as she was leaving her bookstore and immediately stepped in to stop them and help her.

The old woman had asked his name and who he was. After he had told her of his identity, she had given him this mirror. She told him that the mirror was enchanted and possessed magical properties. When her father returned, he had given the mirror to his wife as a gift. Little Elsa remembered asking her mother how a mirror could be magical, her mother had smiled and just turned to the mirror and spoke her father's name.

She still remembered the sheer shock and excitement that grew on her face when she saw the mirror glow and suddenly she could see her father, who was not anywhere in the room with them but in the throne room talking with his councilmen. Her mother had then told her that this mirror could show you anyone and anything you name. She had also told her daughter that she could never tell anyone about this mirror, not even Anna as the mirror was an extremely valuable object and in the wrong hands could be very dangerous. And so, she had kept another secret from her dear sister.

As Elsa stood up with the mirror in her trembling hands, she could feel her heart pounding loudly. Her throat had gotten dry and it was becoming hard just to speak out the name of the man she wanted to see.

"S-Show me...Show me Hans Westergaard." Her voice came out soft and unsure, but it was enough. In a second, the mirror started to glow a deep green colors around the frame, and the glass that was gray before suddenly dispelled like smoke, and just like that she could see the man who betrayed her clear as day.

But the moment her eyes fell on the 13th prince of the southern isles, her eyes widened with sudden tears as a sharp gasp left her lips.

"Oh Hans...What have they done to you?"

* * *

Have you ever experienced the feeling of wanting two completely opposite things at once? Your heart being torn in two different directions, wanting one thing but then also wanting something completely different. Well that was what the former prince of the southern isles felt, as he laid a broken heap in a small cell, fresh bruises alighting his frail body after one of his brother visited him. Years old clothes ripped and torn from different places, feeling his fractured ribs poking his internal organs everytime he breathed, and every breath coming out in a deep wheeze.

At that moment, Hans felt that feeling of wanting two different things at once. At that moment, Hans desperately wished some miracle would take place and he would be allowed the chance to escape this Hel and run away. But he also wished that some kind of miracle would take place and his heart would just stop beating once and for all and release him from this cursed place for good.

He was so tired of all of it. The beatings, the torture, the starvation, the smell, the damned voices and nightmares! He was just...….exhausted. Each night he would fall asleep, and each night he wished it would be his last, but his damned body. It wouldn't give up, and with the sun he would wake up again, prepared for another day of torment. His tormentors were clever, whenever they had their fun with him, they deliberately avoided the more fatal spots and just opted for places that would hurt, they never wounded him in places that could lead to him dying in this dirty cell.

"Gugh!" Convulsing with pain, he pushed his weak arms against the floor as he struggled to get up from the stony ground. But the moment he pushed himself to his knees, he violently convulsed as he released what little food he had in him, mostly just water and dry bread. What little energy he had, it left him like that, leaving him completely drained of everything. When he tried to get back up again, he realized he could not even move his legs.

"Move! You useless things! MOVE!" He yelled and cursed his own weak body, trying to stand on his feet, but after a few seconds realized both legs were numb because of the weakness in his body. Feeling the simmering rage boiling up once again, he dragged his body against the floor and just pushed himself against the wall, giving up trying to get on the stony slab that was his bed. He let out a sigh as he rested his head back against the floor, just the voice of his own labored breaths filling the small cell. The small window in the top corner of the cell allowed the moonlight to peak through providing what little light it could on the broken man.

He was thankful at that moment. Thankful for the moment of quiet and stillness he was provided. When there were no torturers, no faces in the dark and no voices in his head. Just him and nothing else. But in times like this, his mind went to those who were on the outside. Those who were out there in the world, living their lives, while he was in here withering away day by day. Rotting a little bit more with each passing day, losing more and more of himself. With eyes closed, his mind went to a being on the outside that he knew was also waiting for him.

Oh how he wished he could be given the chance to ride his dear Sitron one more time. The only true friend he had ever had in his whole life. His strong stallion, his first and only pet. Who he had grown up with. On days when the life inside the castle would be too much to handle, when the tricks were too cruel for him to bear, he would run. He would run away to his friend. Together they would run through the thick forests of the kingdom, trying to get as far away from the castle as he could. Nowadays he wished he had just took Sitron then and just left, instead of clinging to the hope that perhaps one day his family would see his worth and treat him as someone of value. That perhaps his father would show him the compassion he showed his older sons, or his mother would love him as she loved the others, or even his brother, how they had this strong comradery among them, he hoped one day he would have the same thing.

But that hope had slowly burned away like a small lit candle bearing against a strong gale. It was never meant to survive and grow into something more. Just like his life, it had grown smaller and smaller until nothing but only contempt remained. Contempt for those he was connected to by blood, contempt for those who never gave him any respect, contempt for the world for being so unfair.

And now, those feelings of rage and hatred and contempt also extended to places beyond the southern isles. Far across the oceans and seas, in the kingdom of Arrendelle, a place where he had hoped he could find his place. With his fists clenching in frustration, he thought back to the people of that land, the people who he had helped during their times of trouble. He had given them shelter, food and security when they nobody else was there.

Yet, instead of supporting him when he faced adversity, they had thrown all his good deeds away and had sided with the very witch who almost froze the entire kingdom. They had forgiven her in an instant and yet he was never once shown the same courtesy. Why!? Why was he deprived of a second chance and not the queen?

Was it because he didn't have a crown? Was it because he didn't have any family or any brothers with him to support him? No, they never gave him a second chance, because they like all the else had willingly blinded themselves and accepted the fact that he was nothing but trash, a useless object that could be easily thrown away after being used up.

_"Do you need a hand, prince Hans?"_

His faced snapped towards the door as he heard that familiar soft voice, there she stood once again, dressed in a pale blue gown, her hair let loose against her shoulder and the crown adorning her head, looking just as magnificent as the day he tried to kill her. He didn't know why he had started imagining her day in and out. Before there were many different people from his life that would come before him, all those that had wronged him. But for weeks now, all he saw was her and all he heard was her voice.

And by Odin, she looked so real. He knew this was another one of his mind's delusions, he knew this was his mind falling apart, piece by piece and yet, it looked like she was just within his reach.

"E-Elsa?" Her name came out from his mouth in a deep breath, as if he was seeing her after a very long time. She gracefully walked closer to him, her face not showing any sorts of emotion, as she took a seat on his bed, he looked up at her and thought she looked less like a witch and more like a goddess of the north with the beaming moon lighting her entire body in a majestic glow, while he the lowly and pathetic prisoner sat at her feet.

_"Do you want to know what I think when I look at you like this, prince Hans?"_

Her voice snapped him out of his stupor as he realized this was his enemy he was talking about, the reason why his life was a living Hel. With a clenched fist, he glared at her with all the venom he could conjure in his eyes.

"Leave, witch! You are not wan-" His words of rage and frustration were cut off when she spoke in her same soft voice.

_"Wasted potential...That is what I see when I see you like this, Hans. I see a man who possessed everything one could need to becoming something great, but instead, he wasted it all away just because he couldn't see past his own selfish desires."_

"SHUT UP! Don't talk like you know anything about me! You don't!" The former prince growled back as he leaned forward, feeling the familiar anger and rage simmering back up.

_"I don't? Are you not a selfish, cruel and a power-hungry man? A man who was willing to kill an innocent woman just to get what he wants? Tell me, Hans, what would you call a man like that if not a monster?"_

He gripped his mud-caked hair with his hands as her voice reminded of the very things that haunted him everytime he closed his eyes, once again feeling that feeling of self-loathing rising back up.

"I HAD TO! I HAD TO GET OUT! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH! THE TORTURES I ENDURED EVERYDAY! I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL HER BUT I HAD TO!" He could no longer control his emotions, and just like that he was bursting with his very being. Rage, sorrow, guilt and torment all collapsing on him one after the other. His eyes closed and leaking tears with his teeth bared from the terrible and cruel memories. But the woman before him remained unfazed.

_"So the pain you endured justifies all that you have done? It justifies all that you were planning to do?"_

"You're the queen! You have no idea what it's like for me! You were given everything from the day you were born! Whereas I...I was just the mistake that nobody wanted! So don't speak to me as if you have any idea what it's like to live a life like mine!" He trembled with emotions as he looked up at her.

_"Then tell me, tell me what you desire the most right now? What is the one thing you want the most right now, Hans?"_

At her question, the prisoner was left quiet as he pondered over her words. What did he want the most in the world right now? There wasn't just one though. He wanted many things at the moment. He wanted the pain to stop. He wanted to have a decent meal for once. He wanted to step out into the sun, and ride Sitron again. He still wanted everyone to give him the respect he deserved. He wanted to sleep without nightmares one more time.

But no, there was something else he wanted, something he wanted so, so much more then all of those things. He slowly closed his eyes, as the many different faces from his life came to him, all the faces of the people who had wounded him. And it made him realize the one thing he wanted more then anything. He slowly looked up at the queen before him and glared at her as he growled his heart's desire to her.

"To make this world feel the same pain I have felt since the day I was born."

_"And will that bring you peace? Once the world is burning at your hands, and all those who have wronged you are gone, will you finally be in peace?"_

"Yes! Of course it will!" Hans spoke back in anger as he heard the woman speak to him in a tone that made it seem like he was a child, throwing up a useless tantrum. His Elsa stared at him with a strange look in her eyes before she let out a soft sigh, she slowly stood up and started walking towards the cell door. His eyes followed her as she went, and as she looked over her shoulder, she spoke her last words to him before disappearing into nothing.

_"If you really believe that, prince Hans, then I truly feel sorry for you. And I curse the ones that destroyed your soul to the point where you don't even know what you want."_

He was left all alone once more in the cell, as clouds came over the moonlight, leaving him in the darkness once more. He felt himself drowning in the floods of anguish and heartache and pain, feeling helpless and worthless. A desperate sob left his lips as he looked down at the floor, with tears streaming down his dirty face, he cried as much as he could.

"WHY! WHY! WHY! WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME!? WHY AM I ALWAYS LIKE THIS!?" With each plead and scream, the fallen prince smashed his fists against the stony ground. Even the pangs of pain shooting through them didn't deter him from letting out his emotions on the only thing he could find. His hands now bruised and red from the pain being inflicted on them, were begging for relief, but the former prince didn't want to stop.

He kept going and going and going, until he had nothing left. As the last of his cries escaped his lips, his eyes slowly closed on their own as his consciousness finally left him, and for another night he escaped into the world made up of his own nightmares.

But as he fell asleep, he was not aware of the other person who had been watching him through it all. A person who's body and heart trembled in sorrow and pain at the sights that had taken before her eyes.

* * *

As the mirror again slowly fogged up, an image of a sleeping and beaten Hans Westergaard was the last thing that remained in her mind. And instantly, she came upon a very frightening realization.

_"This was a mistake."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter done and many more to go.
> 
> To everyone who is reading this, I hope you are enjoying the story even though it's most just angst right now. And I hope that as we progress, things will start looking better for our main character. And let's see what happens now that Elsa knows about Hans' condition.
> 
> And another thing, a few people msged me and asked why I even made Lars such a douche, well the thing is, I read the frozen heart novel and in that when Hans is shown going through so much pain and torture everyday, I came to the realization that if Lars truly was a good brother to Hans, then he would've atleast tried to defend or protect his little brother against all that. Instead he let it all happen without doing much to protect Hans, so that to me makes me realize that he wasn't as good as people try to make him to be. And that's why I decided on this characterization of him.
> 
> So thank you for reading and lemme know what you think in the comments and reviews.

**Author's Note:**

> The first chapter is over and now the fun really begins. I am excited to see how you guys will feel about and I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Let the angst train commence.
> 
> P.S: The next chapter is already written and I will be posting it soon.


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